Yosemite National Park opens Glacier Point Road after long winter

The timeless view from Glacier Point, shown in this 1976 photo from Santa Fe Railway, is now open to drivers after being closed for the winter.

Photo: Santa Fe Railway

Just in time for the weekend and increasing numbers of visitors, Yosemite National Park has opened Glacier Point Road for the season.

The road, which closes for the winter when it’s inundated with snow, typically reopens in May. Glacier Point is a popular destination that offers sweeping views of Yosemite Valley. Limited services will be available at Glacier Point, but the store is expected to open Friday along with the road.

Park officials advised drivers to expect weekend crowds in the park, especially in Yosemite Valley on Saturday, and traffic delays at the entrance gates.

Snow removal crews are still working on Tioga Road, also known as Highway 120, which traverses the park and provides access to Tuolumne Meadows and the eastern side of the Sierra. No date has been projected for the road’s opening.

Michael Cabanatuan has covered all things transportation for the San Francisco Chronicle — from BART strikes, acrobatic bridge construction and dark dirty tunnel excavations to the surging ridership on public transportation and the increasing conflict as cars, bikes and pedestrians struggle to coexist on the streets. He’s ridden high-speed trains in Japan, walked in BART’s Transbay Tube and driven to King City at 55 mph to test fuel efficiency.

He joined The Chronicle as a suburban reporter and deputy bureau chief in Contra Costa County, and has also covered the general assignment beat. In addition to transportation, Michael covers a variety of Bay Area news, including breaking news events. He’s been tear-gassed covering demonstrations in Oakland and exposed to nude protesters in the Castro District. Michael is also a regular contributor to the City Insider column and blog.